different between pseudo vs bogus

English

Etymology

From Middle English, derived from prefix pseudo-, itself derived from Ancient Greek ?????? (pseud?s, “false, lying”)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s(j)u?d??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?su?do?/
• Rhymes: -u?d??

Noun

pseudo (plural pseudos)

1. An intellectually pretentious person; a pseudointellectual.
2. A poseur; one who is fake.
3. (travel industry, informal) pseudo-city code
4. (Internet, clipping) A pseudonym; a false name used for online anonymity.
5. Clipping of pseudoephedrine.

Alternative forms

• pseud

References

• The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary

Adjective

pseudo (not comparable)

1. Other than what is apparent; spurious; sham.
2. Insincere.

Translations

References

• The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary

Anagrams

• does up, doupes, souped

French

Etymology

Clipping of pseudonyme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /psø.do/

Noun

pseudo m (plural pseudos)

1. A nickname, handle or pseudonym.

Further reading

• “pseudo” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

First attested as an underworld term for counterfeit coins. Later, the word was applied to anything of poor quality. The newest use to mean useless is probably from the slang of computer hackers.

The origin is unknown, but there are at least two theories that try to trace its origin:

• From Hausa boko (“to fake”). Since bogus first appeared in the United States, it may be possible that its ancestor was brought there on a slave ship.
• From criminal slang as a short form of tantrabogus, a 19th-century slang term for a menacing object, making some believe that bogus might be linked to bogy or bogey (see bogeyman). In this sense, Bogus might be related to Bogle – a traditional trickster from the Scottish Borders, noted for achieving acts of household trickery; confusing, but not usually damaging.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b??.??s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?bo?.??s/
• Rhymes: -????s

Adjective

bogus (comparative more bogus, superlative most bogus)

1. Counterfeit or fake; not genuine.

   Synonyms: phony; see also Thesaurus:fake
2. Undesirable or harmful.
3. (computing, slang) Incorrect, useless, or broken.
4. (philately) Of a totally fictitious issue printed for collectors, often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country (not to be confused with forgery, which is an illegitimate copy of a genuine stamp).

   Synonym: illegal
5. Based on false or misleading information or unjustified assumptions.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

bogus (uncountable)

1. (US, dialect) A liquor made of rum and molasses.

Related terms

• calibogus